Endoscopic and laparoscopic minimally invasive procedures have been used for introducing medical devices inside a patient and for viewing portions of the patient's anatomy. Typically, to view a desired anatomical site, a surgeon may insert a rigid or flexible endoscope inside the patient to render images of the anatomical site. In endoscopic surgical procedures, surgery is performed in any hollow organ or tissue of the body through a small incision or through narrow endoscopic tubes (cannulas) inserted through a small entrance wound in the skin. In laparoscopic procedures, surgical operations in the abdomen are performed through small incisions (usually about 0.5 to about 1.5 cm). Laparoscopic and endoscopic procedures often require the surgeon to act on organs, tissues and vessels far removed from the incision, thereby requiring that any instruments used in such procedures be of sufficient size and length to permit remote operation.
Typically, a trocar includes a cannula and a stylet or obturator. The cannula remains in place for use during the laparoscopic procedure, and the obturator includes a sharp tip for penetrating the body cavity. Most currently used trocars rely on protective tubes or relative retraction of the tip to prevent inadvertent contact with tissue.
Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to further improvements in laparoscopic or visualization instruments.